Tackling and not staying with their assignments is why they gave up so many yards.

Sproles made plenty of plays, to the tune of 128 yards receiving mostly on screens.

Ok, man. I just think your chances of being happy in today's NFL are going to be slim if you hate giving yards up to last year's top offense.The defense isn't at the point where it's going to hold opponents in place like the 49ers. It's all about tightening up in the redzone and eliminating big plays right now.

Game night tonight, I don't know what to expect from the team. Will they shine in the spotlight or will it be to big? Get Cam going in the run game. He's looked fine in the pocket but I think he feels more comfortable when he isn't playing delicately.

I'm excited to see the defense again. Manning on a short week is tough but they have injuries so it's hard to guess how that'll go.

Defense looked like ****. Offense looked decent on a few drives in the second half, but most of that was cut short by bad throws by Newton. I am kind of desensitized to the pathetic state of our defense, but for all the money we have tied up in it, we have to expect a lot more from the offense.

The offense in general has to improve. Like I said, we simply have too much money tied up in that eleven to score seven total points. Cam Newton has got to smarten up his throws.

Joe Adams has to hold onto the ball. He has a lot of promise as a returner, but that is mute if he keeps fumbling/muffing it.

To repeat, the defense is ****. Defensive line was completely inept, couldn't pressure the quarterback or stop the run. The secondary looked useless. Obviously Norman is just a rookie, but we are going to need him to improve nonetheless. Linebackers looked alright, but they are useless when the guys in front and behind them can't do anything right.

All that being said, its not the end of the world. The Giants are a very good team, they won the Superbowl for a reason. We have to rebound like we did after the Tampa game. At the same time, Atlanta is looking really good and they aren't going to make improving easy for us.

The offense in general has to improve. Like I said, we simply have too much money tied up in that eleven to score seven total points. Cam Newton has got to smarten up his throws.

Joe Adams has to hold onto the ball. He has a lot of promise as a returner, but that is mute if he keeps fumbling/muffing it.

To repeat, the defense is ****. Defensive line was completely inept, couldn't pressure the quarterback or stop the run. The secondary looked useless. Obviously Norman is just a rookie, but we are going to need him to improve nonetheless. Linebackers looked alright, but they are useless when the guys in front and behind them can't do anything right.

All that being said, its not the end of the world. The Giants are a very good team, they won the Superbowl for a reason. We have to rebound like we did after the Tampa game. At the same time, Atlanta is looking really good and they aren't going to make improving easy for us.

He's got to smarten up when we're down. I don't know what's going on playcalling wise, but if we're really throwing deep into prevent zones, I can't see a different outcome. Cam hasn't developed the patience to take what the defense gives him, throw 8 yard darts down the field and wait till the defense slips. Stewart is clearly a huge part of this offense. DeAngelo simply can't deal with DEs like the Giants have.

That game was truly awful. I didn't like the thought of this team going in on four days rest/preparation against the SB champs. I don't care if the Giants were injured, the team wasn't ready. No secondary could've done well last night with the time Manning had to throw. I didn't know the Giants Oline would make the Saints oline look like a JV team. Rivera would have been better off strategically placing piles of **** all over the field to deter the Giants. Oh, wait...

Grantland wrote an article about Hurney in response to this horrific game that actually looks at how the Panthers have arrived at this point:

Just saw that Dwan Edwards has 3.5 sacks for you guys, already. Knew he'd be an immediate pickup after falling victim to our numbers/money situation, but didn't quite expect this kind of production. How has he been on the whole?

I really hope we don't perform "average enough" for Hurney to keep his job. I'm also not sure about Rivera. Seems like Singletary to me.

Saw that, agreed with every word. With the Rivera comparison...he reminds me of Seifert as far as how they act on the sidelines during the games. Stoic, standing there with no emotion and their arms crossed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShutDwn

Ok, man. I just think your chances of being happy in today's NFL are going to be slim if you hate giving yards up to last year's top offense.The defense isn't at the point where it's going to hold opponents in place like the 49ers. It's all about tightening up in the redzone and eliminating big plays right now.

Since we're 27th in Red Zone defense and have giving up the 6th most 20+ yard pass plays, and tied for the most 20+ yard run plays, I'd say we're not doing either.

My point about the screen plays was that for a team that ran screens quite a bit last year, and quite effectively, our defense sure can't recognize them for crap.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperMcgee

Just saw that Dwan Edwards has 3.5 sacks for you guys, already. Knew he'd be an immediate pickup after falling victim to our numbers/money situation, but didn't quite expect this kind of production. How has he been on the whole?

He has 70% of our teams sacks so far. He's not doing quite as well in run defense but he's by far our most productive D-linemen.

Sup guys haven't been on here in a while. Last night was depressing to say the least. Not because of how bad we lost, but how we lost. Where's the heart in this team? What happened to keep pounding? I know this team has major holes on defense, but 36-7? They looked like zombies out there in the 2nd half. The only guy that shows any fight for 60 mins is #89.

Maybe it had to do with the short week. If you have a young team, perhaps the short week had something to do with the result of the game. Also, who knows maybe the team read about the hype about this game. Everywhere I looked everyone was picking the Panthers to win, which included the Thurs. NFL network people. So maybe they thought they'd come out and beat us because of the injuries we had. Also, Cam Newton was hyped up a lot as the guy we would have trouble with. A young team might get a sense of just showing up and expecting to win. Maybe that played a part in it? Short week and the expectation of going through the motions, on a nationally televised game and winning.

Maybe it had to do with the short week. If you have a young team, perhaps the short week had something to do with the result of the game. Also, who knows maybe the team read about the hype about this game. Everywhere I looked everyone was picking the Panthers to win, which included the Thurs. NFL network people. So maybe they thought they'd come out and beat us because of the injuries we had. Also, Cam Newton was hyped up a lot as the guy we would have trouble with. A young team might get a sense of just showing up and expecting to win. Maybe that played a part in it? Short week and the expectation of going through the motions, on a nationally televised game and winning.

I think it was the four days that hurt a lot, I think they were also a bit too excited about finally beating the Saints. After seeing the Pack/Bears and Panthers/Giants I am going to bet on the veteran team on Thursday night football every time.

I didn't think the Panthers were mentally prepared at all. I guess they thought they'd just double Cruz and nothing else would be a threat? That was until Manning had enough time to have a picnic every snap. The defense played well the week before by getting pressure on Brees, but without pressure they're toast.

Cam's getting heat (again) for the poutiness. Oh well, people will pry and act like psychologists. I don't think Cam is a spoiled kid who can't lose, I think he's expected to carry a team whether they show up or not. He's said it before, he doesn't like looking around and seeing teammates saying "we'll get it right next time", to me that's fair.

Who wouldn't get a little annoyed that your teammates can't hold Andre Brown and Bardin to 200 yards in a half? God forbid they don't allow an opening drive for a TD this year. He is at his worst when he plays like a QB that can't trust his defense and punting is essentially a potential game losing play. I really don't want that to become engrained in him. Eli Manning stayed patient and trusted his defense all the way to a superbowl championships and MVPs. Cam's trying to do all the heavy lifting right now and it's not going to work long term.

He needs to get better at handling it, and he will with experience. I think it'll really go away once they actually functions as a team consistently, like they did vs New Orleans.

I think it was the four days that hurt a lot, I think they were also a bit too excited about finally beating the Saints. After seeing the Pack/Bears and Panthers/Giants I am going to bet on the veteran team on Thursday night football every time.

I didn't think the Panthers were mentally prepared at all. I guess they thought they'd just double Cruz and nothing else would be a threat? That was until Manning had enough time to have a picnic every snap. The defense played well the week before by getting pressure on Brees, but without pressure they're toast.

Cam's getting heat (again) for the poutiness. Oh well, people will pry and act like psychologists. I don't think Cam is a spoiled kid who can't lose, I think he's expected to carry a team whether they show up or not. He's said it before, he doesn't like looking around and seeing teammates saying "we'll get it right next time", to me that's fair.

Who wouldn't get a little annoyed that your teammates can't hold Andre Brown and Bardin to 200 yards in a half? God forbid they don't allow an opening drive for a TD this year. He is at his worst when he plays like a QB that can't trust his defense and punting is essentially a potential game losing play. I really don't want that to become engrained in him. Eli Manning stayed patient and trusted his defense all the way to a superbowl championships and MVPs. Cam's trying to do all the heavy lifting right now and it's not going to work long term.

He needs to get better at handling it, and he will with experience. I think it'll really go away once they actually functions as a team consistently, like they did vs New Orleans.

That sounds fair. I do think that Newton needs to grow up though. He brings it on himself I think. This is pre draft.

Quote:

"I see myself not only as a football player, but an entertainer and icon,” Newton said as noted by Sports Illustrated's Peter King during a phone call he had with the quarterback.

I think he wants to be considered a brand name. But maturity issues is something he needs to work on. He knows this and even addressed it and vowed to be better at it.

That's the troubling thing. You don't hear, or I may not have heard too many franchise QBs saying that. Doing that celebration after being down so much was nonsense and immaturity. You can't do that! That's especially after vowing, before the season, that you would mature into a leader.

Quote:

So Newton’s assessment of himself as a “bad teammate,” in an interview with Yahoo Sports’ Jason Cole, seems at odds with his performance on the field.

“I was very immature,” Newton said when asked about his sometimes moody reaction as losses piled up. “I’ll be the first one to tell you, the pouting and the moping, I kind of overdid it. I know that. I was a bad teammate. I shut off to some people who gave unbelievable effort. … That’s where I have to mature.”

So I don't think he is a spoiled kid, but he needs to mature. Sitting there with a towel on your head pouting is not what leaders do. It reminded me of LT in the AFC Championship game against the Pats pouting with his helmet on.

I am glad Smith said something to him. Now he has all the chances to do well and mature, and I hope he does mature. However, seeing that on a nationally televised game isn't going to help him.

Team continues to be built in the same dying fashion in a changing NFL under a senile owner. Davis always wanted the big arm Coryell QB who could go deep when the NFL was being taken over by the WCO.

Richardson wants to spend $100m on a backfield and run the ball while every other team that has sustained success does it with the passing game.

He keeps the clearly incompetent Hurney around because he's familiar and "loyal" to him and Rivera is just the first in a line of clowns similar to the Raiders with Shell/Kiffin/Cable/etc because no one worthwhile will touch this franchise as long as Richardson is in charge.

Cam gave us hope but it was false hope. He can't carry this team by himself and he has his own issues he needs to improve on. But you compare the mess he stepped into with the babying now successful QBs like Ryan, Flacco and Big Ben had when they entered the league...it's no coincidence.

God dammit. I hate Rivera. This will be his legacy. Being close and playing not to lose.

Nakamura is awful. I can't stand him being on this defense. He's useless against the run and the pass. He's simply a prop to be posterized. Good job, Hurney. You replaced Martin with a smaller less athletic version of himself.

Cam needs to hold onto the ball an they'll win, but that wasn't where they lost it.

Here's how you solve the Panther's problems:

1. Learn how to tackle. This means getting Beason off the field.
2. Stop running the option and just hand the ball off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SchizophrenicBatman

Richardson is the new Al Davis

Team continues to be built in the same dying fashion in a changing NFL under a senile owner. Davis always wanted the big arm Coryell QB who could go deep when the NFL was being taken over by the WCO.

Richardson wants to spend $100m on a backfield and run the ball while every other team that has sustained success does it with the passing game.

He keeps the clearly incompetent Hurney around because he's familiar and "loyal" to him and Rivera is just the first in a line of clowns similar to the Raiders with Shell/Kiffin/Cable/etc because no one worthwhile will touch this franchise as long as Richardson is in charge.

Cam gave us hope but it was false hope. He can't carry this team by himself and he has his own issues he needs to improve on. But you compare the mess he stepped into with the babying now successful QBs like Ryan, Flacco and Big Ben had when they entered the league...it's no coincidence.

100M on a backfield that will only rush from the option, even if they're trying to kill the clock. I bet Cam wish he had another target to throw too with some of that money.

Cowher obviously didn't want any part of this rebuild. I think my only hope is for Rivera to be the placeholder for a real NFL coach.

I lost faith in Rivera mid-season last year. That's never happened so quickly with a sports team I follow. And I'm a Mets fan who went to school while THIS GUY was my basketball team's coach http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Lowe

He needs to be fired and we need to purge the roster of as many bad contracts as possible. That means Beason, Davis and sadly even DeAngelo all have to go.

Unfortunately Hurney has left us so devoid of talent that we're starting 5th and 7th round CBs their rookie years we can't burn it all to the ground. Martin is a good example of this. He isn't good but how do you watch Godfrey and Marshall continually get lost the last couple of years in coverage and identify HIM as the problem??? He's going to have to play while we fix more important areas. Godfrey fits that also - he still isn't good and is overpaid but he's gotten better and is going to have to play because this roster needs an overhaul and we can't waste first round picks on safeties after we've burned so many on RBs and LBs

I lost faith in Rivera mid-season last year. That's never happened so quickly with a sports team I follow. And I'm a Mets fan who went to school while THIS GUY was my basketball team's coach http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Lowe

He needs to be fired and we need to purge the roster of as many bad contracts as possible. That means Beason, Davis and sadly even DeAngelo all have to go.

Unfortunately Hurney has left us so devoid of talent that we're starting 5th and 7th round CBs their rookie years we can't burn it all to the ground. Martin is a good example of this. He isn't good but how do you watch Godfrey and Marshall continually get lost the last couple of years in coverage and identify HIM as the problem??? He's going to have to play while we fix more important areas. Godfrey fits that also - he still isn't good and is overpaid but he's gotten better and is going to have to play because this roster needs an overhaul and we can't waste first round picks on safeties after we've burned so many on RBs and LBs

TD's on the vet minimum isn't he? I'd keep him for that, at least for another year.

Beason needs to take a big pay cut to stay. He's a shell of himself so far. I don't know if this is a situation where he'll be back to himself next year. Honestly, I'm just tired of the injured linebacker story line it's been going on since I've been a conscious fan of this team. It's endless.

I don't think any real changes will happen. We won't have cap space for a decent FA move, like a FS. But we'll probably give a nice contract extension to who ever is injured or a player at a position that has already been solidified.

This team needs Cam to become so good he wins despite his team and coach ala Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy. Too bad this isn't the AFC South circa 2000-2010.

It doesn't matter how close the team was and how they lost. It'll be a completely different blunder next week. They're still due to miss a game winning FG, give up a ST return and get wrecked by penalties.

Joe Adams was benched for fumbling twice against NY. Those fumbles, in the grand scheme of things were relatively harmless. Nakamura gets beaten and targeted for big plays all game and he'll still start next week. Martin can't be that much worse.

This is not because of two or three fluky plays. The Panthers have three plays over 35 yards (66, 51, and 40) but they also have two losses of -12 yards and -9 yards. They have made 45 percent of needed yardage on 48 percent of first downs, which is third in the NFL behind San Francisco and New England. Cam Newton is completing 71 percent of his passes on first down, 56 percent on second down, and 41 percent on third or fourth down.
Perhaps part of the problem is that the Panthers have forgotten that they employ running backs on third down. Panthers running backs have only three carries on third down all season -- two on third-and-1, and one on third-and-2. They have thrown only four passes to running backs on third down (NFL average is seven, and that includes the six teams with one fewer game played.)

This offense needs to focus on getting one first down at a time. Work the underneath routes, dump it to the checkdown, run a normal handoff and keep moving forward. This boom or bust offense has been mostly bust and it shows.

They have a 34% 3rd down conversion rate and yet they have the highest 1st down average. They have to start getting more players involved on offense. Cam can do a lot but he'll never be able to do it all.

Beason and Gamble missed Thursday's practice and are questionable for Sunday. Rivera wouldn't rule out IR.

Both players haven't played since the Falcons game, 21 days ago.

Good to know this team can't even win during a bye week. ******* great.

This better not save Hurney and Rivera's jobs.

This team was literally built to fail.

They've picked either a RB or a LB in 5 of the last 7 first rounds. Cam and Otah being the two exceptions. Just think about that. They've spent premium picks on two positions that transfer the easiest from college to the NFL. There are plenty of LBs drafted in the second round that are outperforming all three of the Panthers' first rounders. I don't even expect TD and Beason to be around in two years. Hopefully Kuechly makes up for them both but he'll have his work cut out for him when Hurney refuses to pick a DT to keep blockers off him.

This FO doesn't pick the positions it needs and when it tries, it fails to pick the right players.

Why have they avoided investing a quality pick on a corner or a WR for years? The last time they picked a corner early was Marshall in 2006, unless you count picking a (still) injured Brandon Hogan in the third. The last time they picked a WR high it was Jarrett in the second in 2007 unless you count Brandon LaFell in the 3rd.

Seriously, a tank full of manatees randomly selecting players could do a better job building a team tan Hurney.